Veritas
by B R Cary
Summary: Sometimes the darkest moments in our lives bring forth the greatest truths.


**_Author's Note:_**  
>This story takes place at the end of Season 2, but is somewhat AU to the show as some events have either changed or never occurred. Slade was still responsible for Moira's death, but the circumstances are slightly different in this story. How she died is never fully mentioned, though, as the how isn't the focus of the story.<br>Slade has also been defeated, but, again, how isn't important to the plot.

**VERITAS**

Felicity Smoak stood in the cemetery beside Oliver Queen and listened as the pastor from one of the local churches conducted the graveside service for Moira Queen. During the past several days, Oliver had been getting ready for the memorial service and had surprisingly asked for her assistance, which she gladly granted. Although he had repeatedly assured her that he was all right, Felicity was worried about him. Oliver's mother, despite the often rocky nature of their relationship, was such an important part of his life. Now without that familial connection, Felicity wondered how he would fare, especially since Thea had disappeared.

Felicity's musings were interrupted when she suddenly felt a hand take hers. As Oliver intertwined his fingers with her's, she looked over at him and noticed he was still looking straight ahead. Sensing his need to feel her presence, she stepped closer to him, put her free hand on his arm, and rubbed it up and down in what she hoped would be a comforting gesture, not caring that several top level executives of Queen Consolidated were standing close by. When the service ended, she started to step away but Oliver did not move nor did he release her hand. She moved back beside him, determined to be there as long as he needed her to be. Most people were already heading for the post-funeral reception being held at Queen Consolidated, so they stood there in silence for a few moments. All of a sudden, Felicity felt someone place a hand on her shoulder from behind. Turning slightly, she saw Captain Quentin Lance standing there. "Captain Lance," she said, happy to see him, but suddenly realizing she had not seen Laurel at all.

"Hello, Felicity. And please call me Quentin," Lance said, giving Felicity a quick hug. After nodding at John Diggle, who stood on the other side of Oliver, he shifted his focus to Oliver. "Oliver, I am so sorry for your loss, son. Laurel is working on a huge case otherwise she would have been here."

Oliver nodded in acknowledgement, and then speaking for the first time since arriving at the cemetery, he said, "You didn't have to come in her place, Sir."

Lance gave Oliver a sad smile. "I came to show my support and to pay my last respects to your mother."

Oliver stood there for a second, then said quietly, "Thank you, Sir. I know in the past I have never been even close to being your favorite person, but that means a great deal."

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Lance asked, turning back to Felicity, seeming to know she had been helping Oliver close his mother's affairs.

Felicity looked over at Oliver and saw him shake his head slightly. "No, that's all right. I think we have most everything done already."

Lance nodded. Reaching out, he placed his hand on Oliver's shoulder. "I know you may feel you are here to say goodbye to one of the last remaining members of your family, but that is not true. There are many people around you who consider you family, especially the two people standing next to you. You just have to be willing to let them in." Oliver just nodded in return, appearing unable to speak at the moment. He squeezed Oliver's shoulder, then turned and embraced Felicity once more. "If you need anything, anything at all, please give me a call." Then as he starts to leave, he paused and whispered in Felicity's ear, "Take care of him, Felicity. You are the only person he will let do so."

Felicity nodded silently. And as she watched Lance walk off, in the back of her mind she wondered what really prompted him to come. But before she could think any further on the subject, Oliver looked at her and Diggle with a resigned look on his face. "Let's get out of here."

Nodding, Felicity followed Oliver and Diggle to the car.

XXXXXXX

Later that evening at the reception, Felicity had several people come up and inquire where Oliver was. After a quick scan of the room produced no sign of him, she wandered around the building until she finally found him sitting in his darkened office, staring out at the city. She crossed over to him and laid her hand on his shoulder. "Hey, what are you doing up here all by yourself?"

Not looking up, Oliver answered, "I'm just getting used to once again being all alone, which is what I deserve after failing to save my mother."

Felicity's heart broke at Oliver's admission. This is what she had been afraid of. Oliver always took all the blame for a situation and, whether he deserved it or not, laid it upon himself. Then he pulled into himself and away from others. "Oliver, your mother's death was not your fault. You avenged her by catching Slade and preventing even more deaths. And you are not alone. Digg and I are both still here."

"But for how long? Tommy's gone, I just lost my mother, and Thea has disappeared. Sara went back to The League and Laurel didn't even bother showing up today. Having you and Digg as my partners is the only thing I have left," Oliver replied, closing his eyes.

Moving in front of Oliver, Felicity kneeled down so she would be at face level. "Oliver, this partnership and your friendship mean everything to me. I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

Oliver opened his eyes. Reaching out, he ran a hand down Felicity's cheek, something he so rarely did. "I only hope that is a promise you can keep."

XXXXXXX

Much later that evening, Oliver woke up from the light sleep he had been in when he realized the car had come to a stop. Digg had gotten a call from a pregnant Lyla, who was suffering from "morning" sickness, so Felicity had offered to drive Oliver home. Glancing out the window, he noticed she had driven him to her house, not his apartment. Looking over at her, he said, "Felicity, Digg has the car, remember? How am I supposed to get home? It's not like there are any cabs out here."

"You are home, at least for tonight. It's late and I know you are as tired as I am, probably more so. Besides, I thought you might like some company," Felicity answered.

Oliver started to protest, but looking at Felicity he decided she was right. He did not want to go home to an empty apartment. It would only emphasize how truly alone he was. At the same time, Felicity had already done so much for him. She had comforted him when he had lost it over his mother's death, had stayed by his side while he made all of the arrangements for her funeral, and distracted him when he realized Thea was not going to be at the service. He would never be able to thank her enough for her loyalty and friendship. He did not want to wear out his welcome with her, but he was still enough of an emotional wreck that he had to take whatever comfort she offered him for his own sanity's sake. However, his pride mandated he say, "Felicity, I appreciate everything you have been doing for me, but I don't want to keep taking advantage of our friendship."

Felicity smiled as she opened the car door. "Oliver, have you ever known me not to tell you when you have crossed a line? You are nowhere even close to it, so don't worry about it."

Giving Felicity a small smile in return, he got out of the car. As he followed her into the house, he noticed, that as it usually did, the homey interior of Felicity's place made him feel instantly at ease. He always felt safe here and knew it was an extension of the way he regarded Felicity herself. She was his rock, his safe haven. He was so engrossed in his musing that he almost did not hear her call his name. "Yes," he said.

"Would you like something to drink?" Felicity asked as she removed her jacket.

"Sure, thanks. Um, do you mind if I take a shower first?" Oliver replied, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. He had never taken this much liberty at Felicity's before.

"Not at all. You should know by now, Oliver, that whenever you are here, you are more than welcome to make yourself as much at home as you would like," Felicity said as she smiled at him again. "Of course, that does not mean you can stay up all night working out."

Felicity's attempt at humor brightened Oliver's mood a little, as he knew it was meant to. He looked back at her with a look of feigned indignation. "I don't even do that at my own place."

"Sure, Oliver, whatever. Like I am ever going to believe that. Go get your shower," Felicity shot back, and then she walked toward the hallway. "Anyway, I kind of anticipated you would agree to stay here, so I put fresh sheets and towels in the spare room. I even snagged some of the clothes you keep at the Foundry. If you can't find anything else you might need, just ask."

Walking past Felicity into the spare room, Oliver laid his hand on her arm. She smiled up at him, then placed her hand over his and gave it a small squeeze. She moved away into the living room and Oliver crossed to the large bed. Seeing a tote bag sitting on the bed, he opened it and took out the things he would need for his shower. Grabbing one of the towels off the dresser, he moved to the bathroom, looking into the living room as he did. He did not see Felicity there, so he assumed she was in the kitchen. That was confirmed when he heard one of the cupboard doors shut. He closed the bathroom door behind him, set his things on the counter, undressed, turned the shower on, and got in. The warm water did wonders to work out some of the weariness from his limbs, as well as his spirit. The fact that he was standing completely undressed in the same space that Felicity often stood in a similar manner certainly did not hurt. Taking a deep breath, he tried to get his thoughts under control. He finished his shower as quickly as he could, dried off, and got dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. After running a towel over his hair, he opened the door and crossed back into the spare room. He put his things back in the bag of things Felicity had brought from the Foundry and went to join her. She was sitting on the couch with a mug in both hands. Oliver walked over and sat down next to her.

"I made you some chamomile tea," Felicity said as she handed Oliver one of the mugs. "I figured you could use something soothing."

Oliver took a sip of the tea, and then turned to Felicity. "Thank you and I don't mean just for the tea."

Felicity smiled softly. "You don't have to thank me, Oliver."

"Yes, I do. I know I don't tell you as often as I should how much your friendship means to me. I would have never been able to get through these last few days, hell, the past few years actually, if it hadn't been for you," Oliver responded quietly.

Reaching out, Felicity put her hand over Oliver's. "I just wish things could have turned out differently."

Oliver sighed. "So do I."

"I wish I had some way to make things easier for you," Felicity responded .

Felicity's words touched Oliver deeply. "You are, just by being here." Felicity squeezed his hand again and the two sat in comfortable silence. After a while, he noticed that Felicity was starting to nod off, as was he. He set his mug on the coffee table and then did the same to hers. Leaning toward her, he softly ran his hand down her cheek.

"Hey, sleepyhead. What do you say we call it a night?" At Felicity's nod, Oliver stood up. Grabbing her hand in his, he gently pulled her off the couch. They walked towards the hall together and, at the junction to the two rooms, parted ways. "Goodnight, Felicity."

"Goodnight, Oliver," Felicity responded. She stood there for a second, then came over to Oliver and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. "Sleep well."

Oliver watched Felicity walk back to her room and shut the door part way behind her. With a smile on his face, he went into the spare room.

XXXXXXX

Felicity slowly opened her eyes and looked at the digital alarm clock that was on the nightstand. It read 1:21 am. She thought she had heard a noise and that was why she had opened her eyes, but the apartment was now silent. Her eyes had just started to close again when she heard the noise once more. The door to her room opened and she saw Oliver's tall frame illuminated by the light from the hallway. "Felicity?" he said softly. Felicity sat up in bed. "I'm awake, Oliver. Come in." Oliver crossed the room and sat down on the bed. When nothing was forthcoming from him, she inquired, "What's wrong?"

"I was having trouble sleeping," Oliver admitted, sounding slightly distressed and very much like a little boy at the moment.

For as long as Felicity had known him, Oliver has always had trouble getting a good night's rest. His overactive mind was constantly strategizing and preparing for their next bad guy. Another reason for Oliver's lack of sleep was that he was often plagued by nightmares. She suspected those were the reason for Oliver's wakeful state tonight. "Another nightmare?"

Oliver nodded slowly. "Yes. I'm sorry to bother you, though. I'll let you get back to sleep."

As Oliver started to stand up, Felicity grabbed his arm. "Oliver, it must have disturbed you enough to prompt you coming in here. What was it about?"

Oliver looked down at the floor, then raised his head to meet Felicity's gaze. "You."

"Me?" Felicity questioned, surprised. She had thought that the nightmare would have been about his mother or about his time on the island, as most of Oliver's other ones were.

"You," Oliver repeated. "I have this recurring nightmare that people are randomly disappearing and each time I am a little too late to save them and they end up dead. This time, however, I realize that it is not some random stranger who is taken, but you. I try to save you, but, as always, I am too late .Suddenly, I look around and realize I am all alone."

"Oh, Oliver," Felicity replied, pulling Oliver into a hug. "You're not alone. Diggle will never abandon you. And I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. I thought we covered that already?"

"I need you so badly, Felicity," Oliver said against Felicity's neck.

Felicity tried to suppress what the feel of Oliver's warm breath against her neck was doing to her. Oliver was hurting and sexual desire was not what she should be feeling at the moment. Oliver needed her, although that thought also increased her arousal level. Summoning all her willpower, she reigned in her desire and said, "I need you, too."

Oliver lifted his head at Felicity's admission and a look of amazement crossed his face. He stared at her for a moment when his face changed to reflect something else, a look Felicity was not quite familiar with. He reached up and placed one hand at the base of her neck and the other he used to cup her face. "Felicity," he whispered in a low, gravelly tone she had never heard from him before. He looked at her for another second, then slowly leaned forward and claimed her lips with his.

When Oliver kissed her, Felicity was startled at first, but slowly gave into the sensation. She felt Oliver pull away slightly and assumed he was going to say something when he suddenly kissed her again. This time there was nothing sweet about his kiss. It was hungry and demanding. She felt him run his tongue across her lower lip and she immediately opened her mouth to let him in. As his mouth explored hers, she noticed how good he tasted, like mint toothpaste, chamomile tea, and another flavor that was his alone. A million different sensations were assaulting her at once and as Oliver deepened the kiss even further, the rational side of her brain said she should not be letting this happen. However the other side, the one that had wanted Oliver for so long, overruled her rational side and she gave in completely to what she was feeling.

Oliver began to kiss a path down her neck and his hands moved from her face to the front of her pajama top. He did not bother unbuttoning it, but just tore it open. Sliding the garment from off of her body, he dropped it on the floor and began placing kisses on her upper chest. Felicity started to reach out and pull Oliver's shirt off of him, but he stopped her. He stood and quickly removed all of his clothing, then got back into the bed. Within seconds, he had her in a similar state of undress.

Reclaiming Felicity's mouth with his, Oliver began exploring her body with his hands. No man had ever made her feel like this. Oliver's touch was erotic, but at the same time tender. His almost complete lack of control was intoxicating. She could not believe this was happening. She had dreamed about this so many times and for such a long time that for it to actually be happening was almost too much. It seemed to be the same for Oliver because he suddenly entered her and another sensation flooded Felicity's body - exquisite torture. It had been such a long time since she had been with anyone and Oliver entering her with such force had caused the unused muscles to cry out in protest, but she was not going to complain. She would not give up what she was feeling now for anything.

Oliver moaned Felicity's name over and over between kisses. He was entering her with such ferocity that she was surprised the headboard was not slamming against the wall. She had never liked rough lovemaking and although Oliver was being quite forceful, he was still being amazingly gentle. His arms were underneath her supporting most of his weight and the way he kept saying her name pushed her arousal level even higher. The force between them, she knew, was their passion for one another unleashed and, once set free, there was no way to contain it.

Felicity felt Oliver change positions slightly and when he entered her again, he hit just the right stop to make her dig her fingers into his back and arch herself even higher towards him. Her cry of pleasure was lost as Oliver covered her mouth with his, his tongue imitating what his body was doing. He moved his hands to her sides and ran them up and down slowly, despite the demanding speed of everything else he was doing. Felicity felt herself near the edge of her climax and as Oliver entered her again, she fell over the edge into a chasm so deep she did not know if she could ever return. She felt Oliver follow her over the edge and suddenly felt as though their bodies had completely merged. There was no end or beginning to either of them – just one entity.

Slowly, Felicity's mind and body became once more aware of their surroundings. With a sense of loss and disappointment, she felt Oliver roll off her, but the feeling was replaced with relief when he pulled her to him. Reaching down, he pulled the covers up around them and wrapping his arms around her, proceeded to fall asleep. Felicity looked at her sleeping partner and a sense of contentment filled her. She loved this man with all her heart and she vowed to do whatever was in her power to make sure no one ever hurt him again. He had already had enough pain to fill two or three lifetimes. She placed a soft kiss on his chest, then laid her head on it and followed Oliver into the realm of sleep.

XXXXXXX

Several hours later, Oliver woke up from the deep sleep he was in and tried to roll on his side, but a light weight resting on his chest prevented him from doing so. Opening his eyes fully, he looked down and saw that Felicity was practically draped across his body. As she moved slightly, he became very aware that both of them were completely nude. Suddenly it all came back to him and he closed his eyes again, this time in self-reproach.

When Felicity stirred in her sleep once more, Oliver slid from underneath her. After placing a pillow gently under her head, he grabbed his clothes from the floor and walked into the living room. He quickly dressed, then lit a fire in the fireplace and sat down in front of it.

As he watched as the flames consumed the kindling he had used as starter material, Oliver realized it was much like how he had been tonight. He had been so overcome with desire that he had just consumed Felicity. All he had been able to think about was making Felicity his. There had been no thought of her pleasure, of what she wanted or would like, just a burning need to be inside her. He had treated the woman he loved more than life itself like a cheap, one night stand? Felicity was the woman who deserved more than anyone else in the world to be treasured and adored. She was the woman whom he had dreamed of making slow, passionate love to more times than could even begin to count. But as much as he loved her, he had never acted on his desire because he knew he didn't deserve her. Tonight he had proved that by not even asking if she wanted to be with him. He had just taken what he wanted. How could he have done that to her? How in the hell was he supposed to regain her trust after this? She would leave him and he would be truly all alone. His world would be gone. How could he have been so stupid? Then a thought struck him that cut even deeper. He realized that despite all his struggles not to, he had ended up just like his parents- doing whatever he wanted without any thought as to how it would affect those he claimed to love. "Oh, God," he said aloud as tears of guilt and self-anger started to stream down his face. "What have I done to you, Felicity? What have I done?"

XXXXXXX

For the second time that night, Felicity was awakened by a noise in her apartment. Sitting up, she reached over to wake up Oliver and realized he was not in bed. Standing up, she grabbed her bathrobe and slipped it on. Walking out of the bedroom, she noticed Oliver sitting in front of a roaring fire. He head was cradled in his hands and by the way his shoulders were shaking, she could tell he was crying. She hurried over to him and put her hand on his arm. "Oliver, what's wrong?"

Oliver had not heard Felicity enter the room and her touch caused him to jump. The concern evident in her voice only made his self-loathing even stronger. How could she still care about him after what he had done to her? "I'm fine, Felicity. Just go back to bed."

Felicity smiled humorlessly. How many times had she told Oliver she was 'fine' when she was not? "Don't use that phrase with me, Oliver. I'm the one who coined it, remember. Now what's wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Oliver, please don't push me away, not after what happened between us tonight," Felicity said softly. At the mention of their earlier activities, she noticed Oliver tense up. He regrets it, she thought and he doesn't know how to tell me. "You regret what happened between us, don't you."

"Of course I do," Oliver said, his head snapping up. It hurt him that Felicity thought that he did not regret what he had done. The hope of them working this out slid further away from him.

Felicity was dealing with her own emotions. She had not expected Oliver to react so strongly in expressing his feelings of what had happened. Obviously she had completely misread the sound of desire in his voice when he had said her name earlier. As much as she tried to, she could not keep the hurt out of her voice as she answered, "I'm sorry. It sounded to me like you were enjoying yourself."

Oliver cringed at Felicity's words. This situation just kept getting worse. He quickly stood up and moved away from her. "No, Felicity, I'm the one who is sorry. I never meant for this to happen this way. I never meant to force myself on you . . ."

Suddenly it hit Felicity what Oliver had just said. Her eyes flew open and her mouth dropped in surprise. Oliver obviously thought he had forced her to do something she had not wanted to and that she was sorry it happened. She had to clear this misunderstanding up at once before Oliver fell even deeper into his infamous self-blame. She stood up and moved to where he stood by the sofa. Laying her hand on his arm once again, she said quietly, "Do you honestly think you forced me to make love to you?"

A little bit of hope came back to Oliver at the sound of disbelief in Felicity's voice. "You mean you wanted to make love to me?" he asked, his own disbelief mirroring Felicity's.

"Did you at anytime hear me ask you to stop?" Felicity replied, a small smile appearing on her face.

Oliver could not believe what he had just heard. Just to be absolutely sure, he had heard Felicity correctly, he said, "No, but you didn't answer the question."

"Yes, Oliver. I wanted to make love to you," Felicity answered, then paused. "I still can't believe you thought you forced yourself upon me. You know, that doesn't show very much faith in either of us."

A look of confusion crossed Oliver's face. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it shows a lack of faith in yourself because I can't imagine that you can even think that you are capable of something like that, because you are not. And it shows a lack of faith in my ability to take care of myself," Felicity said, putting her hand on her hips.

Smiling internally at Felicity use of her 'loud voice', Oliver still did not understand how he had displayed a lack of faith in her abilities. "How does it do that?"

"Do you trust me?" Felicity demanded.

"Of course, you know that."

"Do you trust me enough to watch your back during a mission?"

"Once again, of course I do. There is no one else in the world I would rather have do so," Oliver replied honestly.

"If you think I have enough prowess to watch your back, what makes you think I would guard my own with any less fortitude?"

The light bulb finally came on in Oliver's head. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Felicity shook her head. Another thing to add to the list of things Oliver blamed himself for. There was, however, something she wanted to know. "Oliver, I know you regretted the thought that you forced me into making love with you, but now that you know you didn't, do you regret the act itself?"

Oliver was a little taken aback by the question. Either way he answered it could lead to one of them being hurt. If he answered yes, Felicity might think that he did not think she was attractive. If he answered no, it might ruin his friendship with her. But, despite the risk, he said, "No, I don't, but I do regret not doing it properly."

Now it was Felicity's turn to be confused. "Uh, Oliver, I assure you that you had all the correct parts where they should have been," she said, blushing slightly.

Oliver laughed softly. He could not help it. Felicity's lack of filter was one of his favorite things about her. "Well, good to know I have that going for me." He paused for a moment and serious look came over his features. "Seriously, Felicity, I wanted our first time to be more . . . special."

A wave of both happiness and pain shot through Felicity at Oliver's words. He had obviously had thoughts about them making love before tonight, just as she had. But although she had thought tonight was amazing and beyond anything she had ever experienced with anyone else, he apparently had had better with someone else, which really shouldn't have surprised her given Oliver's past history with womwn. Despite herself, she couldn't help asking quietly, "You didn't think tonight was special?"

"God, Felicity, tonight was incredible. Despite my regretful past playboy tendencies, I have never lost control like that before and I guess that is what scared me. I mean, not that I lost control, but that I had hurt you in some way. If it had happened after the third or fourth time, I could have dealt with it. I just always pictured our first time as being really slow and drawn out, with me showing you exactly how much you mean to me, treasuring every touch, every caress, making you feel like the most beautiful woman in the world - which to me you are," Oliver said softly as he leaned over Felicity, surprised by his own boldness. Suddenly he had no fear. He wanted her to know all that was in his heart.

Felicity stood perfectly still and let Oliver's words wash over her like rain. No man had ever said anything like that to her and for Oliver to be the one saying them was mind blowing. She had no idea he felt that way. "Oliver," she said just as softly, "you did make me feel beautiful . . . and you still are."

Oliver smiled. "I'm glad, Felicity." He reached out and pulled Felicity to him, wrapping his arms around her tightly. He rested his chin on the top of her head and said, "Felicity, I need to tell you exactly how I feel, what has been in my heart for so long. From the first moment I met you, I could not believe how willing you were to help and trust me. I was expecting someone who I could use for help from time to time. I was so used to people who wanted to be associated with me due to my name, but you weren't impressed at all with all that. You saw through the facade and all the lies I had tried to lay on you. But despite that, you ended up being my strongest supporter and my best friend. I can never thank you enough for all of those things. All I have to offer in return is myself . . . and my love." He moved his hand to raise her head so he could look into her eyes.

Absolute shock coursed through Felicity's body. Surely she must be dreaming. Did Oliver Queen really just tell her he loved her? "Did you just say . . .?"

"Yes, I did," Oliver interrupted. "I love you, Felicity. You have become my truth and my light. I can't imagine my life without you, because you are my life."

Tears of joy started flowing down Felicity's face. Normally she hated to cry, especially in front of Oliver, but she had waited to hear those words from him for so long. She looked up at him with a look of complete happiness and replied, "I love you, too, Oliver."

"I'm glad."

Felicity smiled at the happiness in Oliver's voice, she said, "Oliver, we won't let this new twist in our relationship effect our old one, will we? I can't lose your friendship."

"I can't lose yours either. I need you in every way, Felicity – your friendship, your warmth, your light, your love. I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you," Oliver said, pulling Felicity to him once more.

"Oliver, will you stop saying that. I keep telling you that I'm here and I'm not going anywhere, especially now that I know you love me. I will see to it that you are never alone again, I swear."

"I won't ever leave you, either, Felicity," Oliver stated, meaning every word of it.

They stayed in each other's arms for several long minutes when Felicity spoke again. "Oliver, what are we going to do about work? The gossip at QC about us just died down. This will make everyone think they were right."

"Let me handle that. I will make sure everyone knows the truth. Or as much truth as we can give them without revealing our real nighttime activities. But let's not dwell on that right now. Let's dwell on each other," Oliver said, giving Felicity one of his rare, full-force smiles.

Like always, Felicity felt herself melt at the sight of Oliver's smile. When he looked at her like that, she had a hard time refusing him anything. She smiled back and stepped away from his embrace. "I say this is a subject that is going to require some serious research and you know how much I love my research," she teased as she took Oliver's hand and led him back into her bedroom.

XXXXXXX

Sunlight filtering in from the bedroom windows and falling across his face caused Oliver to slowly open his eyes. Third time's a charm, he thought wryly to himself. The first two times fear had caused him to leave the bed he was in, but this time he was going nowhere. This time he was exactly where he wanted to be. Felicity was asleep on her side with her back to him and her head resting on his outstretched arm. Oliver rolled onto his side so he could look at Felicity's face. He was amazed at the changes in his life. Less than 24 hours before he had stood by the graveside of his mother wondering how to go on and thinking that he would be all alone. Now he was in bed beside the person he had loved in silence for so long and was amazed that she loved him in return. No matter what happened, just knowing that Felicity loved him was enough to get through it. He brushed a lock of hair away from Felicity's face and placed a soft kiss on her neck. He wrapped his free arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Laying his head close beside hers, he whispered, "Felicity, you are my strength and hope and always will be. I love you." He had just started to drift to sleep once more, when he heard a quiet, sleep-laden voice reply, "I love you, too."

**_Author's Note:_**  
>This was a story I originally wrote as an X-Files fanfic and then decided it might work for Law and Order: CI, so I rewrote it for that show. Now it once again gets a new life as an Arrow fanfic.<p>

Though I am not a huge fan of Laurel, her absence was merely due to the fact I wanted the focus to be on Olicity. Yes, I know in the "real" world of Arrow she would have been by Olivier's side, but I wanted him to turn to Felicity, not Laurel, for comfort and support. And I know Oliver also most likely did not have Felicity help him with his mother's funeral arrangements, but I wanted her to in this story. Plus, her helping out ties into her style of support. She is always willing to be by Oliver's side, no matter what the circumstances.


End file.
